Perhaps the best known northwest neighborhood is Georgetown, which was an established town before the city was even planned. Facing the Potomac River and C & O Canal , Georgetown is bounded on the east by Rock Creek Park , and the north by Dumbarton Oaks Park, and on the Georgetown University, Georgetown is equated with charm; Congress has declared it a National Historic Monument. Its streets, often cobblestone and precipitously steep, are lined with gracious federal style homes, a few large private estates, and many quaint townhouses, which reflect the Georgian or Federal elegance of the original Georgetown.

Georgetown is also a very lively section of Washington. Washingtonians and suburbanites, especially students, flock there on weekends for shopping, entertainment, fine dining, and just to enjoy the atmosphere. The Georgetown waterfront, once a thriving wheat and tobacco port on the Potomac, has undergone large scale reconstruction, carefully planned to blend in with this historic section of the city. For many years, it was a wasteland of parking lots, decaying factories, and various light industries. Many of the old factory buildings have been converted to offices and shops. In some cases, only the facade is being saved to preserve the character of the area.

West of Georgetown on the hills above the river known as Potomac Palisades there is a variety of housing from very modest older homes and apartments to exclusive Foxhall Road mansions. Farther out toward Maryland, Spring Valley and American University Park are communities of fine single-family homes. The sections of the city adjacent to Rock Creek Park have always been prime residential areas.

Cleveland Park, north of Washington National Cathedral between Wisconsin and Connecticut Avenues, is a neighborhood of large older homes of varied architectural styles on treelined streets. Residents insist that theirs is one of the finest family communities in the city. Chevy Chase, DC (there is also Chevy Chase, Md.) is another area of gentle affluence. Connecticut Avenue is dotted with clusters of shops and restaurants interspersed among homes and apart- ments.

Ease of Rock Creek Park, 16th St., NW, which runs from the White House to the Maryland border, is lined with large, older homes and probably more churches than any other street in the city. The Mt. Pleasant area (bounded by 16th St., 18th St. and FloridaAvenue) is an Hispanic neighborhood that has recently become popular with young families.